


Danganronpa V4: The Final Season

by JustARandomPuddle



Series: Puddle's Current Works [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2, Super Dangan Ronpa 2.5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Hope's Peak Academy (Dangan Ronpa), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Writing, Bisexual Hinata Hajime, Bisexual Saihara Shuichi, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Closeted Character, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Death, Dialogue Heavy, Eventual Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Eventual Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, Execution, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay Komaeda Nagito, Gay Oma Kokichi, Gay Panic, Heavy Angst, Hinata Hajime & Kamukura Izuru Are Merged, Hope vs. Despair, Hope's Peak Academy, Hurt/Comfort, I suck at writing in general lmao, I'm Bad At Summaries, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Iruma Miu Being Iruma Miu, Iruma Miu's Dirty Mouth, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Jabberwock Island (Dangan Ronpa), Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Komaeda Nagito Being Komaeda Nagito, Komaeda Nagito's Luck Cycle, Lesbian Chabashira Tenko, Lies, M/M, Mild Gore, Minor Akamatsu Kaede/Amami Rantaro, Minor Chabashira Tenko/Yumeno Himiko, Minor Maizono Sayaka/Naegi Makoto, Monokuma (Dangan Ronpa) Being An Asshole, Oma Kokichi Is a Little Shit, Oma Kokichi Needs a Hug, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, One-Sided Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, Other, Panic Attacks, Parental Tojo Kirumi, Past Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Past Character Death, Possibly Unrequited Love, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protagonist Akamatsu Kaede, References to Depression, Sad Oma Kokichi, Sick Komaeda Nagito, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Some of the characters might be OOC, Temporary Amnesia, Trials, Varying Chapter Lengths, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:55:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24133195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustARandomPuddle/pseuds/JustARandomPuddle
Summary: She was supposed to be dead. She remembered how much pain she was in, before suddenly feeling cold. So, so cold. That had to have been her dying, right? So... what was she doing here? How? How was she still alive? She remembered her death as clear as day. She was slowly choked to death, playing the piano with her body dangling beneath her. Her hands were desperately holding the collar around her neck, trying to take it off or to allow herself slightly more breathing room, she didn't know, but she still shouldn't have been there. And yet... Here she was. Alive, in a classroom.
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede & Maizono Sayaka, Akamatsu Kaede/Amami Rantaro, Akamatsu Kaede/Saihara Shuichi, Chabashira Tenko & Oma Kokichi & Komaeda Nagito, Chabashira Tenko/Yumeno Himiko, Enoshima Junko & Shirogane Tsumugi, Fukawa Toko & Naegi Komaru, Fukawa Touko/Togami Byakuya (one-sided), Harukawa Maki/Momota Kaito, Hinata Hajime & Naegi Makoto & Saihara Shuichi, Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Hinata Hajime/Nanami Chiaki (past), Ikusaba Mukuro/Naegi Makoto (one-sided), Iruma Miu/K1-B0, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Kirigiri Kyoko & Saihara Shuichi, Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto, Komaeda Nagito & Oma Kokichi, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Pekoyama Peko, Maizono Sayaka/Naegi Makoto (Past), Mioda Ibuki/Tsumiki Mikan, Nidai Nekomaru/Owari Akane, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi, Sonia Nevermind/Soda Kazuichi (Past), Sonia Nevermind/Tanaka Gundham
Series: Puddle's Current Works [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977166
Comments: 89
Kudos: 334





	1. 0.0 - Before The Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short this chapter is. I promise the next one will be much longer!

She couldn't believe she let this happen. She didn't want to hurt anyone. All she wanted to do was help. But now...

"I have a special punishment prepared for the Ultimate Pianist, Kaede Akamatsu!" Monokuma exclaimed cheerfully, ignoring the cacophony of voices refusing to let the pianist die. Kaede sighed, taking a deep breath, and mentally preparing herself for what was going to happen next. Pasting one final smile onto her face, she turned towards the person who had been by her side the whole time: Shuichi Saihara.

"W-wait, wait a second! Kaede, please, don't..." He begged, his mask finally broken. The tears welling up in his eyes were finally starting to trail down his face.

"Shuichi. You better not lose. You can't lose to this killing game! I know you can beat it!" Kaede replied, her voice quivering with sadness as the tears streaming down her face continued to fall. She didn't want to leave them, her beloved classmates that she had learned to adore. She wanted to spend more time with them, eat more of Kirumi's cooking, watch Himiko's magic tricks, see Shuichi finally break out of his shell.

But... it was better this way. It was better her than someone else. Maybe, she could be an example of what happens to someone when they murder. Maybe, after this, no one would kill. Maybe, everyone would learn how to work together and persevere through this. Yeah. It was better this way.

"Let's give it everything we got! It's... PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"

Kaede took in one final breath. If she was going to leave them, then her final words should be something to inspire them, even after she died. "I believe in you guys! So please, believe in yourself! Okay...? It's a promise."

And then, a metal collar closed itself around her throat, pulling her away from her classmates. She reached out, desperately trying to grasp Shuichi's hand as desperation had finally sunk in. But there was no point. She was going to die, just for trying to end this horrible game, one that no one would ever want to play. She didn't want to die. _She didn't want to die. **SHE DIDN'T WANT TO-**_

But everything was going to be okay. She had faith in everyone. All of them would make it out alive. Together.

_I'm sorry, Shuichi. Please keep our promise, okay?_


	2. 0.1 - Let The Games Begin

Kaede shot up, her face and hands covered in a cold sweat, the chair underneath her clattering to the floor loudly. She looked around, panic coursing through her veins as she tried to get her bearings. From what she could tell, she seemed to be in a classroom, with the windows bolted up with large metal plates. The chalkboard had a large doodle of a bunny wearing a frilly dress and the word "Suckimi" scrawled around it in child-like handwriting. Kaede frowned, the childish drawing somehow calming her nerves despite how confused she was. The back of the room had a large corkboard covered in colored paper and two, human-sized floor lockers. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, other than the metal plates, and, well... herself.

She was supposed to be dead. She remembered how much pain she was in, before suddenly feeling cold. So, so cold. That had to have been her dying, right? So... what was she doing here? How? How was she still alive? She remembered her death as clear as day. She was slowly choked to death, playing the piano with her body dangling beneath her. Her hands were desperately holding the collar around her neck, trying to take it off or to allow herself slightly more breathing room, she didn't know, but she still shouldn't have been there. And yet... Here she was. Alive, in a classroom.

She sighed, bending down to fix the chair she had knocked down. Surprisingly, next to her fallen chair, was an unfamiliar folded piece of paper. _When had that gotten down there?_ she wondered, picking up the piece of paper. It seemed to be a cheaply made brochure; the writing wasn't in pen, it was in crayon, and the handwriting on it was atrocious. With a soft frown on her face, Kaede read the brochure's contents.

_"Hey, there! The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be the start of your brand-new life. Please head over to the gymnasium at 8:00 A.M. sharp._

_Your Headmaster,_   
_Monokuma."_

Kaede's eyes widened, her grip on the brochure tightening in surprise. _Monokuma? Oh no. T-this can't be right!_ Kaede groaned, trying to resist the urge to scream and throw the damned brochure across the room. Anything with Monokuma involved was a really bad sign. She sighed dejectedly, glancing up at the wall clock. It was only 9:40. She had 20 more minutes before the assigned time.

"Well, now what?" she grumbled under her breath, approaching one of the classroom's floor lockers. Maybe Monokuma didn't know she was here, and she could hide inside a locker until everyone was called together, or something. She sighed again, opening the locker hesitantly before stepping back in surprise. A girl, wearing a school-girl uniform and long blue hair fell out, looking rather disoriented. Kaede walked over, gently placing her hands onto the girl's shoulders and stabilizing her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned. The girl glanced up and hesitantly nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you," she smiled, taking a few steps away from the Ultimate Pianist. "I'm Sayaka Maizono, Ultimate Pop Sensation. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kaede Akamatsu, Ultimate Pianist. The pleasure's all mine," Kaede replied, holding her hand out. Sayaka smiled and shook the blonde's hand.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, there's something that I found in this room," Kaede sighed, proffering the brochure to the Ultimate Pop Sensation. Intrigued, the idol took the brochure and opened it hesitantly. Her face paled, hands beginning to tremble slightly before blankly handing the brochure back.

"M-Monokuma...? I-I thought... I thought it was all a dream... No, that couldn't have been real, right?" Sayaka muttered to herself, her face darkened with fear.

"W-What? What do you mean by 'it'?" Kaede wondered, slightly confused. Sayaka merely shook her head, shoving the poorly drawn pamphlet back into Kaede's hands. "Maizono-san, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," She replied, nervously twirling a lock of blue hair around her finger. "Anyways, that pamphlet said to head to the gym, right? We should get going. If this is the place I think it is, then I should know the way." Kaede frowned at the statement, but nodded nonetheless, and allowed the idol to guide her to their destination. The hallways were bathed in an odd variety of brightly colored lights, ranging from white, lime green, and magenta. Unfazed by the odd coloration, Sayaka lead on, passing a bright red door, the nurse's office, and the bathrooms, eventually stopping in front of two large doors. 

"Hey, this is the gym, right?" Kaede asked, glancing over Sayaka's shoulder. Sayaka whipped around, firmly grabbing Kaede's hands into her own.

"Akamatsu-san, whatever happens, I just want to let you know that everything will be okay, okay?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the Ultimate Pianist. Shocked by the Pop Sensation's sudden change in demeanor, Kaede nodded, unsure of what else to do. Sayaka smiled at her response, and with Kaede's hand still in hers, the two of them walked into the gym. Kaede couldn't help but notice the way Sayaka's eyes lingered on the golden sword resting inside one of the glass cases and how the grip on her hand tightened slightly. _Something must've happened for her to react that way,_ Kaede noted.

Sayaka took a deep breath and swung the gym's doors open before stepping inside. There were quite a few people inside, about 13 people, all looking just as confused and disoriented as themselves. There was a familiar figure that stood out the most to Kaede though, with their green hair and dark blue striped shirt. _Rantaro._ She felt a pang of guilt shoot through her chest at the sight, and she held back the urge to throw herself onto him and apologize. Now wasn't the time. Amongst the crowd of people, there were quite a few other faces that she recognized. Tenko, who had just flipped a rather heavyset looking guy with glasses, Kirumi, who was talking to a girl with black drills and goth lolita attire, as well as most of her classmates were there. Sayaka seemed to know quite of a few of them herself, often giggling at some of their antics.

They waited for a while, watching people slowly trickling into the gym at a leisurely pace. By the time it was 8:00, 23 people were standing inside the gym, all wondering what was going on. A few of them were debating to leave and start looking around until a _very_ familiar voice rang out. _Monokuma._

"Hello everyone! Goooood morning!" He exclaimed, popping up from behind the pedestal. All at once, the crowd seemed to get all riled up, various voices echoing throughout the gym. "Now that everyone is here, I can finally begin the explanations!"

"Monokuma. What the hell is going on here?" A voice called out, drawing everyone's attention to them. It was a girl, with a rather large bust and strawberry blonde hair in two pigtails. The most interesting thing, however, was her two hair ties. One was black with a wicked-looking face, and the other was white with a seemingly more innocent one. Just like the way Monokuma was. Beside her was someone Kaede hadn't seen in a while, Tsumugi Shirogane, who was hanging onto the girl's right arm, for some reason. There was another girl to her left with short, black hair in a layered bob. Her piercing, light purple eyes immediately made Kaede want to look away.

"Ah, Junko Enoshima! It's been a while, hasn't it? And look who else is here—Mukuro Ikusaba, _and_ Tsumugi Shirogane! The masterminds, all in one place. How ironic!" Monokuma exclaimed, turning towards the three. "Everything will be explained in a little bit, so please be patient. I know how easily you get bored." Monokuma then turned towards the front, once again facing the crowd.

"Welcome to Hope's Peak Academy, although, some of you here must already know that. After all, you lived and died here in the very first killing game!" He cooed. Kaede glanced towards Sayaka, who's hands were covering her mouth in shock. _I thought so,_ Kaede sighed dejectedly, glancing around the room.

"To those who have never been here, you must be from the most recent killing game, the one with the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. If that's the case, I hope you learn to enjoy your time here at Hope's Peak Academy. Now that that's out of the way, I guess I should explain why we're all here. In basic terms, all of you-"

"-Sorry I'm late, I got lost," a voice called out from the entrance. Everyone turned around, confused about who this newcomer was. They were rather tall, with wispy white hair, pale skin, and a green jacket with a pixelated pattern over the left shoulder. There was one more odd thing about this stranger, however. His right hand. It was robotic, with the palm and four fingers being made out of black steel. His thumb was white, and each time he moved his hand in general generated a loud, mechanical whirr.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Monokuma growled, drawing everyone's attention back to the sociopathic bear. "You're not supposed to be here!"

"I don't know! I just woke up in a locker with a strange-looking pamphlet in my pocket," he laughed awkwardly, holding his hands up defensively.

"Never mind what he's doing here, what the hell happened to his fucking hand?!" Someone in the crowd—Miu, as Kaede deduced— shouted from across the gym. Junko scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Oh, that's probably my fault," she said, smirking. "Hey Nagito, you finally removed that rotting piece of flesh from your arm, huh?"

"That doesn't matter," Nagito replied, ignoring Junko's statement. He turned the stage, staring Monokuma directly in the eyes. "Now then, are you going to explain what going on?"

Monokuma huffed, grumbling irritatedly under his breath before continuing. "Fine, fine. As I was about to say before I got rudely interrupted-" he shot a glare at Nagito "-Almost everyone in this room is dead. You all died some way or another in a killing game, whether you were murdered, got executed, or died via external sources, all of you are dead!"

"Then how are we here if that's the case?" Another voice—Kokichi—asked. "If we're truly dead, then how are we standing inside of Hope's Peak Academy?"

"Well, Kokichi Ouma, the answer is quite simple!" Monokuma exclaimed. "All of you are AI I recreated using the data I gathered on you during each of your killing games!"

"What's the point to all of this?" Kokichi asked again, a disappointed look on his face.

"Why? Well, to create one final killing game, of course!"

"What would the prize be for graduating this time?" Another girl asked— the one with the large, bombastic drills. "Since all of us are programs, there is no way that we can leave. There must be a catch, am I wrong?"

"There _is_ a way you can leave if you survive long enough to graduate," Monokuma cackled. "I can just upload your AI personalities into a body in the real world. And before any of you ask, there are 23 bodies in the real world, all of which are exact duplicates of your former selves all sitting in a coma, waiting for a personality to be uploaded into them. Of course, some of them may not be completely exact copies, but they're close enough that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. All of this is possible, by the way. Just ask Junko or Nagito! He knows what I'm talking about."

Everyone turned, facing the direction of Junko and Nagito, who were currently glaring at each other.

"Yup, the bear's right," Junko said, irritation filling her voice. "For those who participated in the second killing game—the only person here to do so being Nagito—should know that during the final trial, I was about to upload an AI version myself into their 'dead' classmates bodies."

"As much as I hate to agree with _her_ , she's unfortunately, right. I didn't experience it myself, but from what I was told by most of the people who were alive to experience it can confirm that was about to happen," Nagito sighed, crossing his arms.

"Well, there you have it! All 24 of you are to compete in the final killing game for a second chance at life. This time, in honor of the veeeery first killing game, I will allow 6 people to graduate and move on to the real world! Now that explanations are out of the way, it's time to give out the first motive!" Monokuma cheered.

"T-The first motive? Already?" Kaede asked, shocked. 

"That's right Kaede Akamatsu. I'm giving out the first motive right. Now. So, if everyone could please open their e-Handbooks and go to the character profiles," Monokuma growled, turning towards the blonde and baring his claws at her from the stage. With a sigh, Kaede did so, pulling her e-Handbook from her skirt's pocket and turning it on. "Underneath one of your classmate's profiles, there should be a tiiiiny little folder beside their name. Inside that folder, is not one, but three of that person's most embarrassing secrets! The person who has your secrets is completely random, so be careful! It could be the end for you if someone you hate somehow gets your secret."

Kaede frowned, flipping between each person's profile. There were so many interesting Ultimates, such as the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader or the Ultimate Fanfiction Creator. Blankly, she wondered who had her secrets and what they were. Her finger froze, staring at the surprised at the name: Kokichi Ouma, and beside it, a small icon of a folder. She was already tempted to tap the icon and read what was inside. She didn't know much about the Ultimate Supreme Leader, especially since he always told so many lies, and this was a great time to get to know him better. She tore her eyes away, quickly changing profiles. No! She couldn't, not without his permission first, at least.

"Didja find who's secrets you have? Good! Now then, this would usually cause murder on its own, but I'm going to shake things up a little and add a perk! This time, the first perk for killing someone is that you can call one person from the outside world of your choice! It doesn't matter if it's your mom, dad, lover, whatever. You can call them! If, of course, you get away with murder." And with that, Monokuma slipped away, leaving everyone in the gym frozen in confusion.

_All of us... dead? In a way, it... kind of makes sense. There's no other explanation for why I'm still here. But... a killing game involving dead people? That's ironic. In any case, I hope that no one kills._

"So... now what?" A tall man with a light brown pompadour and high-collar overcoat asked, breaking the silence. "We can't just stand around here forever."

"I THINK THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD DO IS INTRODUCE OURSELVES! WE SHOULD STATE OUR NAME, TALENT, AND WHICH KILLING GAME WE PARTICIPATED IN," Someone yelled, wearing a white, military-like uniform with some very intense eyebrows,

"Man, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the weirdo. I don't know shit about half of ya, so why don't I go first? The name's Miu Iruma, gorgeous girl genius and Ultimate Inventor. This useless sub beside me is K1-B0, or Kiibo for short, the Ultimate Robot. Both of us participated in the most recent killing game," Miu quipped, jabbing a thumb at the robot beside her.

"I guess it is my turn now," The girl with bombastic drills stated, placing one of her hands to her chin. "My name is Celestia Ludenberg, Ultimate Gambler, but I prefer to go by Celeste. I was in the first game." (Kaede noticed the way a rather buff female sighed and shook her head at that. Maybe she knew something that the others didn't?)

"I AM KIYOTAKA ISHIMARU, THE ULTIMATE MORAL COMPASS! I TOO, PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST KILLING GAME."

"The name's Kokichi Ouma," said supreme leader said blankly, leaning his head against his hands. "I'm the Ultimate Supreme Leader, and I participated in the most recent killing game."

"Ultimate Supreme Leader? What are the exact details of your talent, Ouma-san?" Celeste asked.

"I'm the leader of a secret organization with over 10,000 members," Kokichi boasted, before placing a finger over his lips, "Although, who knows? I _am_ a liar, after all. I could be lying."

The introductions went on for a while, each person uniquely introducing themselves. In the end, there were 10 from the first killing game, 13 from the most recent killing game, and one person from the second killing game. 24 people in all. There was quite a lot of interesting characters; Kaede wasn't sure how she was going to handle so many perverts in one room. Not only that, but she also learned who to steer clear of. She was extremely surprised to learn that Junko, Mukuro, and Tsumugi were all in some way involved with the killing games. A lot of people from the first killing game didn't even know Mukuro existed, which Kaede found to be pretty surprising. During all of this chaos, a question lingered in the back of her mind: _How many of these people are killers?_ She knew everyone was thinking the same thing—but no one had decided to voice the question out loud.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there's still one thing I feel like we have to do before introductions are complete," Kokichi stated, everyone, turning to look at him with confused looks on their face. "We should probably sort this out before everyone gets too comfortable with each other?"

"What do you mean Ouma?" Mondo asked gruffly, crossing his arms.

"YES. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN, OUMA-SAN," Ishimaru agreed loudly.

"We should probably sort out how each of us died. Specifically, were we executed, murdered, or did we die some other way," Kokichi explained, his face blank. The group fell silent, the previously cheerful chatter now soft murmurs of despair.

"Guys, I know we don't want to do this, but we have no choice. I think this is something that we were going to breach the topic on no matter how much we avoided it." Kaede glanced around the room, noticing how people seemed to agree with her. "How about this? We don't have to explicitly say how we died. If you were executed, move to the left half of the room. If you were murdered, move to the right side of the room, and if you died some way else, stay here in the middle? Agreed?"

Murmurs of assent filled the gym, and each student began to move, heading to their side of the room. With a sigh, Kaede made her way to the left, noting how the only ones to stay in the middle were Kokichi, Sakura, Hifumi, Nagito, and Kaito. A lot more people than she assumed. On her side of the room were Leon, Celeste, Kirumi, Korekiyo, Mondo, Tsumugi, Junko, and Gonta: 9 people, including Kaede herself. On the right was Chihiro, Ishimaru, Ryoma, Rantaro ( _Kaede couldn't help but flinch slightly at the sight_ ), Miu, Angie, Tenko, K1-B0, Mukuro, and Sayaka: 10 people. That seemed about right—24 people total.

"Now... I know that said that we didn't have to explicitly say how we died, but... if anyone wants to volunteer and tell us, they should probably do it now," Kaede said, noticing the way Sayaka was intensely staring at her as she looked around the room.

"I don't mind going first," Nagito declared, drawing Kokichi's attention. "I technically don't know who killed me, but I planned my murder in an elaborate trap to try and kill everyone but the traitor in my group. My cause of death was a lethal toxin."

"Oh, oh! I planned my murder too, to try and end the killing game," Kokichi grinned cheerfully, playfully leaning against Nagito, who didn't seem to mind. "I had Momota-chan crush me with a hydraulic press." Kaito flinched, taking a few steps away from the supreme leader.

"Since I was mentioned, I might as well talked," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I died of an illness during my execution."

No one else spoke up, and the room fell into momentary silence, everyone unsure of what to do. Soon, their silence was interrupted by the sound of the monitor inside of the gym powering on. Broadcasting on the monitor was Monokuma, who was carelessly lounging on a swivel chair, holding a wine glass in his right paw as the monitors behind him flickered occasionally.

"Mm, ahem. This is a school announcement. It is now 10 P.M. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon, the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then... sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite."

The monitor switched off. Everyone in the room nervously glanced at each other, and one by one started to trickle out of the gym towards their rooms. Kaede sighed, following the trickle of students into the hall, Sayaka silently following beside her. After reaching her dorm room, Sayaka left without saying a word. Kaede's room was across the hall of hers, and with the key that somehow ended up in her pocket, she hesitantly entered. Too tired to even fully look around, Kaede flopped onto the bed and fell asleep for the first time that felt like years.

**~ ~ ~**

_"...Hey. Can you hear me?"_

_"I can hear you._ _How did it go? Did anything interesting happen?"_

_"Well, despite my sudden appearance, they somehow managed to prepare a room for me already. Also, if you were watching, Monokuma already handed out the first motive."_

_"Shit. He's trying to get people to murder on the first day? What the hell is he thinking?!"_

_"I don't know. I never could understand that bear. Anyways, how are things on your end?"_

_"No good. We haven't been able to find the broadcast's signal yet."_

_"This is looking hopeless..."_

_"... I don't want to hear that, especially from_ you. _Everything will be okay."_

_"If you say so. Anyways, I'll keep monitoring things from my end. I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen."_

_"Please don't do anything too rash. I don't want you to die a second time."_

_"Don't worry. I'll be fine... Oops, it looks like I have to end the call soon. I don't want Monokuma to get suspicious."_

_"... Okay then. Good night."_

_"Good night."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the way I spelled Kiibo's name. It's now Kiibo and not Keebo.


	3. 0.2 - Chaos, Despair, and Distrust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, the survivors will come in later during the story, so don't expect to see a lot of shipping action right now other than the occasional Amamatsu or Kiiruma moment.
> 
> Also, since this is mostly from Kaede's POV, I will be using she/her pronouns for Chihiro. The only time I'd use Chihiro's proper pronouns is when someone knows his true gender.

Kaede couldn't sleep that night. This entire situation was so bizarre, it hadn't sunk in until everyone was asleep. Her room was in tatters—blankets and pillows were strewn across the floor in haphazard piles, and the paintings hanging on the walls were broken into pieces. The only thing intact was the piano. She couldn't bring herself to destroy it, despite how hard she tried. The late-night Monokuma visit only made things worse. He showed up suddenly, chastising her for tearing her room apart. He wouldn't let her speak or even try to explain herself, and left just as suddenly as he appeared.

So here she was, playing One Summer's Day for the umpteenth time in a futile attempt to calm herself down. She let out a sigh, idly playing the final few notes. Music had always been soothing to her, no matter the circumstances. Smiling softly, Kaede gently covered the keys with the piano's fallboard before standing up and stretching. _Might as well head to the dining hall and get some coffee_ , she thought, heading outside of her room. After a few minutes of walking in silence, she finally arrived at the dining hall, the delicious smell of french toast wafting through the air. Her stomach growled softly at the smell, her face heating up in a soft blush. Inhaling softly, she stepped inside, unsure of what was going to occur. The state of the dining hall made her jaw drop. It was in absolute _chaos._

Food was scattered across the floor, walls, and tables, leaving a mess that would make Kirumi faint if she were there to witness it. Junko was pinned to the wall with multiple well-placed kitchen knives, rendering her immobile. Tsumugi was in a similar position, laying cast aside on the floor, her whole body tied up in rope. People were yelling and screaming, not just at them, but at everyone else too. Miu was holding Kokichi by the front of his shirt, a wrench pointed to his neck; Tenko had just grabbed Korekiyo by the ankles and hurled him at the wall; Mondo was being sat on by Hifumi, who Ishimaru had previously slapped in the face.

"Oh, good morning Akamatsu-san." Nagito blithely smiled, ignoring the confused look on the Ultimate Pianist's face. "You missed the morning announcement."

"Good... morning? Komaeda-san, just what the heck is going on here?" Kaede asked, first gesturing towards Tsumugi and Junko, before turning and gesturing around the room.

"Oh! Well, when everyone came in this morning, Junko-" he said her name with disdain, shooting a glare towards her "-said some things that didn't sit well with her sister, so she threw her against the wall and pinned her up using kitchen knives," Nagito laughed cheerfully, completely ignoring the state of chaos that the dining hall was in. "Then Shirogane-san tried to defend her, so Mondo-san pulled out some rope and tied her up. After that, everyone just started going off at each other. People started throwing food, then weapons, and at some point, someone tried to throw one of the tables! It was quite odd, I must admit."

"How can you be so calm about all of this?! Someone could've died, you know?!" Kaede shouted angrily, suddenly feeling a spike of irritation towards the Ultimate Lucky Student. "Did you do anything to stop them?!"

"Of course I did, but they wouldn't listen to me. They were too caught up in their anger to realize that this is what Monokuma wanted from us—he wanted us to fight amongst ourselves, inevitably filling us with despair." Hearing the words "despair," Tsumugi, Junko, and Mukuro perked up, turning towards Nagito. Kaede couldn't understand why that happened but stayed silent. "And I hate to say this, but we played directly into his hand."

"He's right, you know," Tsumugi chirped, craning her head to see Kaede and Nagito. "I should know. I was a mastermind at some point—that's what I tried to do."

"No one asked you," Mondo growled from underneath Hifumi, who had pulled a PSP out from who knows where.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," Tsumugi replied, shaking her head slightly. "I want all of us to get along."

"As if," Ryoma huffed. "You still gotta ways to go if you plan on making believable lies."

"I'm not the liar, Kokichi is! He can tell you the truth; I'm not lying," Tsumugi responded, glancing towards the Ultimate Supreme Leader. With a sigh, Miu dropped Kokichi to the floor. Everyone's eyes turned towards the dark-haired boy, watching him expectingly. He lay there for a few seconds, gently clutching his throat and taking a few deep breaths before glancing up. He shakily stood, using the table's bench as a crutch to prop himself up. He turned towards Tsumugi, narrowing his eyes and watching her intently. "Am I lying when I say I want everyone to get along?" she asked, staring directly into Kokichi's eyes. He stayed silent for a few moments before finally speaking.

"She's telling the truth," he announced, his voice breathless and scratchy.

"That doesn't mean shit! She's still a former mastermind who made us kill each other!" Miu growled, glaring at the two masterminds. "Just like Junko, or even Mukuro for fuck's sake. They're responsible for all of us dying."

"Hey, there's still one other person you forgot to add to your list~" Junko cooed from her spot on the wall, shooting a glance towards Nagito. Kaede raised an eyebrow confusedly, staring at the Ultimate Lucky Student confusedly. He turned away, ignoring the various looks he received from around the room. "Right Nagito? Or should I call you 'Servant?'"

"Don't call me that," Nagito snapped, tightly clenching his fists together. Kaede watched him warily, noticing the way his hands were starting to tremble slightly.

"What? Did I strike a nerve, Mr. Servant?" Junko sneered, her sly smirk never leaving her face.

Nagito closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Without another word, he turned around and made his way towards a table in the top-left corner and sat down. Wordlessly, everyone else soon followed suit, falling into a tense silence. Kaede made her way towards Sayaka, sitting down a few feet away from her. A few minutes later, Kirumi stepped our of the kitchen, wheeling a large cart of various foods out into the dining hall. She merely shook her head at the state of the dining hall, muttering to herself under her breath as she freed Junko and Tsumugi from their confines.

"How did Ikusaba-san even manage to pin Enoshima-san up like that? She's barely wearing any clothes," Sayaka muttered softly, watching the two head towards a table.

"I'm... not sure, really," Kaede replied, thinking the same thing.

"She's the Ultimate Soldier, she probably figured out how," Rantaro answered, taking a seat from across Kaede. Kaede turned away, unable to look him in the eyes. Rantaro frowned, glancing at Sayaka, who merely shrugged. "Hey, what's wrong? Why can't you properly look me in the eyes?"

"I... I'm sorry, Amami-san. I, uh... was the one who killed you," Kaede replied after a pregnant pause, nervously glancing at Rantaro. A few seconds passed, before suddenly, Rantaro burst into laughter.

"Sorry, sorry. You weren't the one who killed me," Rantaro stated, rubbing the back of his head. "You were the one who rolled the shot put ball through the vent, right?" Kaede nodded slightly, confusion swarming through her head. "It missed. Someone showed up a few seconds later and smashed my head in with another one."

"What? If that was the case, then why was I executed?" Kaede wondered, feeling shocked and relieved at the same time.

"Because the one who murdered Rantaro was the mastermind," Kiibo (In case you missed it, yes, I changed the spelling from the previous chapter. It's now Kiibo instead of Keebo) answered, taking a seat next to Kaede. "She needed someone to take the blame, otherwise the killing game would've ended much too abruptly."

"I see...? I'm still sorry I tried to murder you, Amami-san. I feel horrible for doing so; I hope you can forgive me," Kaede said meekly, offering a hand towards the green-haired boy. He took it without hesitation, and the two shook hands.

"Nah, it's not your fault. I would've been suspicious of me too if I were you," he replied, chuckling softly.

Kaede smiled, her chest feeling much lighter knowing the truth. She still felt guilty for trying to kill Rantaro, but knowing that she wasn't the cause of his death made her feel so much better. She shot a glance towards Tsumugi. Kaede didn't know how to feel about the Ultimate Cosplayer. She felt conflicted. On one point, she was Rantaro's killer, and she used Kaede as her scapegoat just so she could survive longer. There was also the whole "her being the mastermind" issue. But... she was still human. A human with major flaws, sure, but she's still human.

She tore her gaze away from Tsumugi. Now wasn't the time to act suspicious of everyone around her. Right now, the thing that she needed to focus on was surviving. And this time, she would, no matter what it'd take.

 **~ ~** **~**

Breakfast felt like an eternity. There was no pleasant conversation or chatter, only awkward stares or the occasional attempt at a conversation. None of them lasted for too long, only making the atmosphere much more awkward than it should be. Everyone was watching Junko and Tsumugi, like at any moment, they would explode or try to murder someone. The only person who was seemingly unaffected by all of this was Nagito, who seemed to be used to this sort of situation. It was almost like he had expected this to happen.

"I think we should take a look around—see if there's anything important, like a way out," Sayaka proposed after a long pause, nervously glancing around the room. A murmur of assent filled the crowd, causing Sayaka's meek smile to brighten slightly.

"I think we should split into small groups, six people per group," Sakura added on, looking around. "There should be at least one person who knows their way around in them."

"I agree with that," Celeste nodded, looking at Sakura with an unreadable expression. "We should also assign certain groups to certain tasks. For instance, that table-" she gestured to the table Kaede was sitting at "-could be assigned to look for a way out. After we're done investigating, we should meet back up here. Sound good?" Another murmur of assent filled the room. Celeste seemed pleased by this and nodded her head slightly. Nagito took a step forward, procuring a few chopsticks from his jacket's pocket.

"Then why don't we use these chopsticks to decide?" he asked, holding them up for Celeste to see. "They're already marked with colors at the tips, and there should be 24 of them—perfect for right now. So, how about it?"

"Why did you have those prepared?" Kaede asked skeptically, staring at the tipped chopsticks hesitantly. It was like he was expecting something like this to happen, almost as if it were planned. Keeping that in mind, she made a mental note to keep an eye out.

"I had a feeling something like this might happen-" he held the sticks up for the others to see "-so I prepared them just in case."

"That's... rather odd, but I think these will work." After saying that, Sakura went over to Nagito and drew a chopstick. With a slight shrug, Rantaro, along with a few others, soon followed suit, drawing a chopstick before heading back to their original spots. With a sigh, Kaede did the same, drawing a green-tipped chopstick. After a few minutes, everyone had grouped up depending on their color. Group One consisted of Nagito, Kokichi, Tenko (who hadn't stopped complaining), Celeste, Angie, and Mondo. Group Two had Sakura, Gonta, Ryoma, Miu, Kiibo, and Hifumi. Group Three was made up of Kaede, Sayaka, Rantaro, Kaito, Chihiro, and Kirumi. Finally, there was Group Four, which had the most chaotic people in their group: Junko, Mukuro, Tsumugi, Korekiyo, Leon, and thankfully, Ishimaru, who could hopefully keep them from falling apart.

"So... now what?" Junko asked, glancing around the dining hall. "What are we supposed to look for, anyway? I know for a fact that there's no way for us to escape—we made sure of it."

"We? What do you mean by 'we'?" Sayaka asked confusedly. "It wasn't just you who trapped us here?"

"I'm sure Monokuma will explain everything," Tsumugi replied vaguely. "Maybe he'll make a video or use a flashback light!"

"A flashback light is something we had in our game," Kaede clarified, noticing the way Sayaka was staring at her. "It restores our memories, but we can only use it once."

Kiibo cleared his throat(?) "That's not true. Shirogane-san said during the last trial that the flashback lights are used to-"

"-No spoilers, please. We can't spoil the surprise for those who didn't survive," Tsumugi smiled, interrupting whatever Kiibo was about to say. Kiibo sighed, opting to stay silent. Junko tossed a glance toward's the blue-haired cosplayer, who merely shrugged and made a vague gesture with one of her hands. "Anyways, I think we should look for ways to contact the outside world. Maybe there's a computer or something."

Chihiro perked up. "There is one. I-I used it in the last killing game to make an AI," she announced, nervously staring at Tsumugi. "I-I didn't get to finish it though, s-since I got..." she trailed off, now intently staring at the floor. Kaede noticed the way Mondo flinched slightly at that statement.

"If I recall, the library is on the second floor," Celeste replied, twirling some of her hair around her finger. "I imagine we won't be able to access it until a Class Trial occurs."

"Don't you mean 'if' and not 'when?'" Tenko asked hesitantly, instinctively adapting one of her Neo-Aikido poses. "I highly doubt someone would murder someone, especially in this situation."

"That's a lie and you know it. Anyways, I'm bored~ Can we hurry up and start investigating already? I wanna test Komaeda-chan's talent out." Kokichi grinned, wrapping his arms around the Ultimate Lucky Student's waist, who didn't seem too bothered by this.

"...Komaeda-chan?" Sakura stared at Kokichi confusedly, watching as the shorter teen messed around with Nagito's prosthetic arm.

"The little shit acts like that around everyone, get used to it," Miu huffed, crossing her arms.

"Oh shut up you filthy whore. Nobody likes hearing your ugly voice," Kokichi replied, shooting a glare towards the blonde, who had a bright blush dusting her cheeks, and... Was that a moan just now? What the hell?

"You shouldn't talk to your classmates like that, Ouma-kun. It's rude," Nagito sighed, staring down at the purple-haired boy.

"WAAAAH! KOMAEDA-CHAN'S BEING MEAN TO ME!" Tenko groaned, muttering disapprovingly under breath as she watched Kokichi cry crocodile tears. Just as quickly as he burst into tears, he suddenly recovered, pasting a carefree grin on his face. "Okay, I'm all done with that. Seriously though, can we get going? I'm bored!"

"I agree with the rat! This shit is starting to get real boring," Junko exclaimed, crossing her arms and sticking her tongue out in a quick personality switch. Everyone seemed shocked by the sudden change, except for Tsumugi, Mukuro, and oddly enough, Nagito, who merely sighed and shook his head.

"Hey, I'm not a rat!" Kokichi protested. Miu nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he's not a rat. The little fucker's more like a gremlin," she retorted with a scoff.

"THAT'S NOT ANY BETTER!"

"I think it suits him." Celeste shrugged, causing Kokichi to glare at her. "Anyway, we're getting off-topic. Just as Ouma-san said though, we should quit the with the chit-chat and start to look around. Agreed?"

A murmur of consent filled the room. Almost immediately, Junko practically sprinted out of the dining hall, Ishimaru yelling at her for running in the halls. Mukuro sighed, shook her head disappointedly, and followed suit, dragging Tsumugi along with her. Korekiyo and Leon followed a few feet behind, chasing after their group. Kokichi's group were the next ones to leave, Angie riding on Mondo's shoulders (with Tenko practically threatening to flip him into a wall), and Kokichi dragging Nagito and Celeste by their wrists. Slowly, everyone trickled out of the dining hall, leaving Kaede's group behind.

"Well, now what?" Rantaro asked, glancing between each person's face. "Any place we should investigate first?"

"I-I think we should check the stairwell," Chihiro suggested. "Maybe there's a way we can open the gates?"

"Maybe we can have Kokichi pick some of the door's locks," Kaito piped in, finally speaking. "There's nothin' in the rules that says we can't do that."

"There is. Have you checked your Monopad, or in this case, e-Handbook? One of the rules clearly states that tampering with any of the doors is against the rules," Kirumi replied, holding up her e-Handbook. Kaede and the others shook their heads.

"I didn't feel like it was really necessary. I thought the rules would be the same," Kaede shrugged. Rantaro and Sayaka nodded in agreement, seemingly having thought the same thing. Kirumi sighed.

"The rules are very important if we want to make sure all of us survive," she said, gently clasping her hands together. "I recommend all of you read them before we proceed with our investigations." Kaede nodded, pulling her e-Handbook from her backpack and powering it up. She flipped to the "school regulations" tab and read each of the rules. They were pretty standard, for the most part. Students are not allowed to leave school grounds, the fact that the gym and dining hall will be locked during nighttime, violence against the headmaster is prohibited, etc. The thing that stood out most to Kaede however, was the fact that there were already rules about class trials. Despite a murder not occurring yet, they were already listed, almost as if a murder was already planned.

"Tch, guess Ouma's lock-picking skills aren't going to come in handy any time soon," Kaito huffed, slipping his e-Handbook back into his jacket's pocket.

"That's fine! W-we can still check out the school _without_ picking any of the locked doors," Chihiro smiled, trying to reassure Kaito. "That's how we did it before, at least. Besides, just because the rules don't permit it, they don't apply if Monokuma doesn't catch us." Rantaro stared at Chihiro, a dumbfounded expression on his face. Chihiro frowned, staring concernedly at the green-haired teen. "W-what? What's wrong?"

"I-I'd thought I'd hear someone like you say that," he stammered. Chihiro smiled.

"Hey, I'm not a completely timid person," she exclaimed, smiling softly.

"While I don't completely disagree with that notion, I highly doubt talking about this will win us any favors," Kirumi replied, gesturing to one of the security cameras in the corner of the room.

"Oh! I-I know where should check out first: t-the bathhouse. There was something I noticed the first time," Chihiro smiled meekly.

"The bathhouse, huh? Nice. I get to go into a bathhouse changing room with several cute girls," Rantaro teased, placing his hands on his hips. Kaede's face lit up with a soft blush, averting her eyes and staring at the ground nervously. She hated to admit it, but she couldn't help but agree with him. Kirumi, Chihiro, and Sayaka were very attractive. She was surprised that she hadn't seen any of her classmates try and flirt with them.

"If Tenko heard you say that, she'd flip ya' into the wall," Kaito sighed, scratching the back of his head. Rantaro shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyway, I think that's a good place to start. Alright Fujisaki-san, lead the way!"

Chihiro nodded, a determined look on her face. "Right. L-let's get going then."

**~ ~ ~**

_"I'm worried."_

_"Don't worry, everything should be fine. He's with them, after all."_

_"That's who I'm worried about."_

_"...? What do you mean?"_

_"People are going to be suspicious of him. Monokuma being surprised about him suddenly appearing, the way he constantly switched between 23 and 24 people while explaining things? I'm worried that they're not going to trust him."_

_"Hey, I'm sure things'll work out somehow. We just have to hope that he doesn't mess this up."_

_"Knowing him, he probably find a way."_

_"I know... but he's the only chance we got. We just have to hope that things will work out."_

_"... Hope, huh? I'm starting to get tired of that word."_

_"I know the feeling."_

_"Well, I guess I can believe in hope for a little while longer. We're going to need it."_


	4. 0.3 - [REDACTED]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! This chapter refused to be written. You have no idea how many times I had to rewrite this!
> 
> Also, sorry for how short this chapter is. I hope you guys don't mind!

_The Team Danganronpa building. A tall skyscraper made of glass, surrounded by vast amounts of cars. On the uppermost floor, a_ _figure sits at a desk, their face obscured by the room's darkness. Their hands lay crossed on a desk, long, dirty blonde hair the only thing truly able to be discerned. T hey were staring into a monitor, watching the contestants of the killing game explore the new and improved version of Hope's Peak Academy. Another figure stood in the doorway, their face also obscured by the dark lighting._

_"President. We've discerned the location of the unknown signal interfering with the killing game," a feminine voice said, placing a hand on the doorframe. The figure at the desk glanced towards the door._

_"I see," another voice replied. "Please, do tell."_

_"The signal is coming from Jabberwock Island. Our scientists have figured out that_ they _are using the Neo World Program to try and interfere." T_ _he figure at the desk sighed, leaning their forehead against their hands, before glancing back up at the monitor._

_"They already have. They planted a spy into our cast of characters."_

_The figure in the doorway seemed shocked. Their grip on the doorway tightened. "Should we take the episodes off the air?" The person at the desk waved their hand in the air.  
_

_"No. Keep broadcasting them. I can figure out a way to deal with the pest."_

_"Are you sure, President?"_

_"Of course. I survived through the Tragedy_ and _the Towa city incident. I'm sure I'll be able to deal with a rogue group of survivors."_

_"If you say so. But how exactly are you going to deal with him?"_

_"Oh, you'll see. Tell the development team I'll be joining them for the production of the next episode next week," The figure at the desk grinned eerily._ _The person at the doorway seemed to understand what this meant and nodded their head._

 _"Very well. However, are you sure this is the direction you want to take?" The_ _figure at the desk stood up, walking towards the one on in the doorway. They placed a hand on their shoulder before whispering something into their ear. A few minutes later, they step back and take a seat in their chair. The person in the doorway seemed shocked. After a few moments, they let out a sigh. "Very well. I shall alert the development team right away."_

_"Good."_

_The figure in the doorway scurries off, leaving the person at the desk by themself. They flipped through the various security cameras, their gaze focusing on a certain person on the screen. Off-white, fluffy hair, with a green jacket. They pause the security camera feed and zoom in on him. They clench their fist. Once, twice, a third time... Before the figure leans back into their chair, resting their cheek in their hand. They spin something around their pointer finger._

_"Now then... How shall I deal with you?"_


	5. 0.4 - From Other's Point of Views

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back~~ Sorry for that hiatus, I've been really busy with school. Also, for those who can't translate what Nagito's saying, there's a little key at the end that will tell you.
> 
> And once again, sorry for the shorter chapter. I haven't written in a while, so I'm trying to get back into writing fanfiction, hehe.

The storage room.

Not a very interesting place other than the various wares held inside.

Nonetheless, this was exactly where Nagito wanted to be.

Quietly, he slumped against the door, his body flickering in and out, pixelated glitches shooting up his arms and legs in varying colors. It almost felt like he was in the warehouse all over again. He couldn't move, couldn't scream, and yet, everything _hurt so_ _fucking much._

"How d-spairf--," he wheezed, his body curling into itself as another wave of glitches encompassed his body. "It s--ms like som---- has f---lly no---ed my w-rthl--- existence"

**_"Oh, dear! Is everything okay? You're glitching an awful lot."_ **

"I'm f-n-. D-n't wo--y ab-ut it. I'm su-- th-t wh---ver is g--ng on w--h --is av--ar -ill dis-ip--- sh---ly," Nagito replied quietly. Sucking a large gulp of air through gritted teeth, Nagito forced himself to move, deciding to use his current predicament as a pro rather than a con. Flipping up one of the panels on his electronic arm, he pulled something out of the small compartment hidden within. A cellphone. Gritting through yet another wave of glitches shot up his arm, he dialed the only number on it. Almost immediately, he answered.

_"Nagito? What's going on? Shouldn't you be investigating with the others right now?"_

"U--ortu--tely, --ere se-ms to b- a pr--le-," he replied, his voice cutting out.

_"Hey, you're cutting up? Nagito, what's wrong?"_

"T-is is t-e p-ob--em," he ground out, hoping that they'd actually understand what he'd be saying. There was a moment of silence before the voice on the other end responded.

_"I think someone is trying to force you to disconnect. I'm not sure how, but they've managed to hack into the Neo World Program via the waves your pod is sending to HQ. How's Monomi doing right now?"_

"--e's f-ne. C-r-ent-ly f-ss-in- ov-e- me."

 _"Well, I guess there's one good thing about this situation,"_ the voice grumbled. From what Nagito could hear, it sounded like they were typing something into a computer, balancing the phone with their shoulder. Another few moments of silence passed before the voice continued. _"Nagito. Where are you right now?"_

"S-ora-- r--m-. N- n-noku-ma's to b- s-en."

A quiet sigh could be heard from the other end, followed by an exasperated groan and what sounded like something hitting a desk or table. _"Damn. I can't fix this issue while you're still inside the simulation. But I can't withdraw you either since they might notice and adjust the firewall to make it even stronger than last time."_

Another wave of glitches washed over his body, causing Nagito to bite his tongue lest any noises slip out.

_"Listen. Everything's going to be okay, Nagito. How long do you think it will take before someone decides to check up on you?"_

"N-t s--e. Pr-ba-ly in a f-- m-re m--ute-."

A frustrated huff, followed by yet another slam of what Nagito presumed to be a fist hitting a desk followed a few moments after Nagito's response. _"Damnit... hold on, let me go get_ him _to see if he can do anything."_

"T-ke y-ur t---. Th---'s no -ee- to --sh ove- a disgus---g h--an bei-- like me."

_"None of that talking down to yourself bullshit. You're stronger than any of us here, volunteering to be in another killing game."_

And then, more silence. Nagito frowned, waiting a few minutes before the voice returned, slightly more dejected sounding than earlier. _"He told me the same thing I had figured out a while ago. We're either going to have to log you out, or you're going to have to sit there and bear with it as much as you can until it stops, which may never happen."_

Nagito sighed, forcing himself to stand.

_"Well? What do you want to do?"_

"I g-ess t-- sm-t r-spon-- is t- sa- l-g out."

_"Alright then, this might be a bit disorienting."_

**~ ~ ~**

Kokichi hummed, slowly walking away from the storage room's door.

He knew it.

Nagito Komaeda was hiding something. Something that would be extremely important that could result in either life or death.

While he was unsure of whom the white-haired teen had been talking to, there was one thing that he could be certain of.

There was a way to contact the outside world other than the laptop that was supposedly on the second floor.

... But how to get it?

Suddenly, an idea popped into Kokichi's head, causing him to snicker quietly.

Oooh yeah. He could probably do that, given enough time and quiet observation.

But who would agree?

Gonta? No, Kokichi used him last time. ~~And he felt bad enough the first time, no way in hell would he do it a second time.~~

Miu? No, she, despite what he said about her, was actually fairly smart and knew enough about him to predict he was scheming something. ~~Besides, didn't want to be one of the reasons she died again.~~

Scanning his surroundings, Kokichi frowned, looking for a viable candidate.

_Ah yes, you'll do nicely._

Pasting on his usual lackadaisical smile onto his face, Kokichi skipped across the hall, pausing in front of the much taller figure and quietly held out his hand.

"Hello~ You're Mondo Owada, correct?"

**~ ~ ~**

Kaede frowned, noticing Kokichi and Mondo conversing in front of the laundry room. She paused, trying to get a sense of what they were talking about. Kirumi and others stopped as well, noticing the blonde's sudden lack of movement. Rantaro glanced over his shoulder, following Kaede's gaze towards the two. He blinked, before tapping Kirumi on the shoulder and whispering something into her ear. The maid merely shrugged and gestured to Chihiro and Sayaka, who both perked up at the mention of their names.

"What's wrong, Akamatsu-san?" Kaito questioned, leaning over to see what she was looking at.

"Oh, nothing much," the blonde replied off-handedly, still examining the pair. "I'm really curious as to what those two are talking about."

"Whenever Kokichi is involved, I can assure you it is probably not good," Kirumi replied, her hands neatly crossed in front of her.

Kaede glanced over her shoulder, turning back towards the group. "That's the thing. I hate to be suspicious of others, but I can't help but wonder what Kokichi is planning."

"W-well, whatever it is, I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later," Chihiro mumbled quietly, hands gripping the edge of her skirt. Sayaka smiled, placing a reassuring hand onto the smaller girl's shoulder.

"That's right! Anyways, weren't we supposed to check out the changing room?" The idol reminded, the others nodding their heads in agreement. "Alright then, let's continue on our way then!"

The group moved onward, forcing Kaede to follow along despite her singular complaint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- "How despairful, it seems like someone has finally noticed my worthless existence."
> 
> \- "I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I'm sure that whatever is going on with this avatar will dissipate shortly."
> 
> \- "Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem."
> 
> \- "This is the problem."
> 
> \- "She's fine. Currently fussing over me."
> 
> \- "Storage room. No Nanokuma's to be seen."
> 
> \- "Not sure. Probably in a few more minutes."
> 
> \- "Take your time. There's no need to rush over a disgusting human being like me."
> 
> \- "I guess the smart response is to say log out."


	6. 0.5 - Free Time Event I - Sayaka Maizono

Kaede sighed, quietly slipping into her room and shutting the door behind her. Their investigation had turned out to be rather fruitless, at least, as far as Chihiro claimed. According to her, there wasn't supposed to be a security camera there. And yet, when they went to go and check, there was a camera. After that, they went around and explored a few more areas before deciding to call it a day and return to their rooms.

Kaede sat down on her bed, glancing around at her room. She hadn't been out for too long, and yet everything inside of it had been replaced. The pillows, blankets, heck, even the paintings on the walls seemed exactly like the ones she had destroyed earlier that morning. With another sigh, she pulled out her Monopad, swiping through the various options. She had a few more hours to spare before Nightime, it seemed.

She crossed her legs, tapping the MAP option. A very basic and crude layout of the school popped up, along with pixelated character icons for the locations of each person. Oddly enough, Kaede couldn't seem to locate Rantaro's position. Weird...

She shook her head, dismissing any potentially unwanted thoughts. _I guess I could go and hang out with someone to kill some time,_ Kaede hummed thoughtfully, taking in the locations of her classmates. After a few moments, she stood, placing her hands onto her hips.

"Alright! I guess I should go and see if anyone would be willing to spend some time with me!"

**~ FREE TIME: START! ~**

_‘Maybe Sayaka could hang out with me,’_ Kaede hummed, exiting her room. She had never seen someone else with a music-related talent, so she was honestly really excited to get to know her better. It was also really convenient since her room was just across from hers. It was reassuring that one of her friends was close enough.

“Maizono-san? It’s me, Kaede. I was wondering if we could hang out!” Kaede chirped, patiently waiting behind the door for Sayaka’s response. After a few moments of quiet shuffling from the other side of the door, Sayaka opened the door.

"Hello, Akamatsu-san. If you want to hang out we can, but it hasn't even been 20 minutes since we've last seen each other!" Sayaka giggled, placing one of her hands over her lips. "Anyways, feel free to come on in!"

Kaede stepped inside, Sayaka quietly shutting the door behind herself. She made her way towards the bed, sitting down on the bed nearby.

The first thing Kaede noticed when she stepped in was how different her room was from Sayaka's. Kaede's room mostly consisted of gray, with the occasional pink on either the wall paneling or striped carpet. Sayaka's on the other hand, looked more like how she expected the dorm rooms of Hope's Peak Academy to look. Light pink walls with bright blue carpets and large, metal-covered windows. Promotional posters of various idol groups lined the walls, and on one of the tables sat the golden katana Kaede had seen her staring at earlier on.

"Make yourself at home!" Sayaka exclaimed, gently placing her hands on her hips. Kaede nodded, glancing around the room before taking a seat beside her.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

Kaede frowned thoughtfully. There were a lot of things she wanted to know about. After a few moments, she spoke, glancing over her shoulder.

"Why did you decide to become an idol?" She asked. Sayaka hummed, glancing down at her lap.

"Well, when I was a little kid, my father usually left me alone most nights. He had to work extra-long shifts so he could make enough money to feed the two of us. As a result, I ended up watching a lot of television. My favorite show to watch was a live idol show. I loved listening to the girls practicing."

Sayaka smiled fondly, a warm feeling washing over her as she recalled those fond memories.

"Their smiles were a source of strength. Eventually, I grew to adore them. It made me want to aspire and become an idol myself. Like the girls on the TV, I wanted to give strength to the kids like me, sitting at home all alone with nothing but the TV to keep me company."

Kaede nodded her head, grinning cheerfully. That was a noble reason. One that she could appreciate.

"What about you Akamatsu-san? What made you decide to become a pianist?" Sayaka asked after some thought.

"Oh! Well, I just... really enjoyed playing. Ever since I was a little kid, all I ever did was play the piano. It made my twin sister happy whenever I played too. I loved seeing that excited smile on her face whenever I'd start playing," Kaede replied, smiling sadly. She hadn't seen her twin in a long time. (Idly, Kaede wondered how her sister would react if she ever learned she had died.)

"Well, it's good that you follow your passion!" Sayaka chirped, clapping her hands together.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kaede replied. "So, uh... how are you fairing so far?"

Sayaka's smile faded, melting into more of a frown.

"Not too great," she replied, sighing and shaking her head. "It's been difficult, you know? Being around so many familiar faces and knowing that they all suffered the same fate is disheartening. And... it's scary, too. There are a lot of people that have killed someone here, and I can't help be next."

Kaede nodded sadly. She understood that sentiment all too well.

"Yeah, I get what you mean," she nodded, wrapping her arms around her torso. "I tried to kill someone. And sure, I had a noble reason to do so—I was trying to end the killing game—but I still attempted to end someone's life. And, while I'm glad that I didn't manage to succeed, I still feel really bad about it."

Kaede glanced over her shoulder, trying to read Sayaka's expression. It was sad, and slightly empathetic—like she could understand her feelings. A few minutes passed in silence before Sayaka finally replied.

"You're not the only one. I... tried to kill someone too. And, well... you can see how that turned out."

She laughed bitterly, her expression dark.

"And the thing is? I can't forgive the person that killed me. Even though I tried to kill them first. I didn't want to do it. But desperation just set in and... oh my god. Akamatsu-san, I-I tried to murder someone...!"

Sayaka's voice trembled, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Kaede scooted over, wrapping her arms around the blue-haired girl as a way to comfort her. Sayaka, seemingly taken aback, sat there in Kaede's arms for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. Finally, after what felt like a couple of minutes, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Kaede's torso.

"It's okay, Maizono-san. We've all done things we're not proud of, especially in this sort of situation. You had no choice," Kaede whispered, lowering her head. "I know how you feel. It hurts. But you have to keep going, to prove to others that you can change. That you're not like the way you used to be."

Sayaka buried her head in the crook of Kaede's shoulder, tears trailing down her face as a mournful wail filled the room. Kaede continued to hold her reassuringly, patting her back and whispering reassurances.

It felt like hours before Sayaka finally stopped crying. Kaede was there the entire time, making sure the other knew she wasn't alone. Silently, the shorter girl pulled away, arms wrapped around her torso. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks stained with tear tracks.

"Thank you... Akamatsu-san," She mumbled softly, her voice barely audible. Kaede smiled reassuringly, tilting her head to the right slightly.

"You can call me Kaede," She smiled, watching the way Sayaka's eyes widened slightly in response. After a moment, it seemed as if the other would refuse.

"Then... you can call me Sayaka."

The two girls smiled at each other and nodded. After that heartfelt exchange, the two spoke and ended up hanging out with each other for a few more hours until Kaede eventually returned to her room, a warm, fuzzy feeling in her chest.

Hope.

However... hope does not last.

It never does.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, hope you enjoyed the read :3
> 
> Reviews and criticisms are welcome. I'll try to update once a week, but... don't hold me on that.


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